The present invention generally relates to soft luggage articles such as backpacks and, more particularly, to expandable inserts for such articles which assist in displaying such articles in their actual use configuration at points of sale.
A wide variety of soft luggage articles such as backpacks, sport bags, tote bags, and the like are presently successfully marketed to purchasers of all ages. These popular soft luggage articles are formed from a fabric, hence the name "soft". Typically these articles are shipped from the point of manufacture to the point of purchase in a flat or collapsed condition wherein the article fabric walls are collapsed upon each other. In a collapsed condition, a great number of the articles can be easily packaged in a single carton for shipment to points of purchase.
However, once the articles reach the point of purchase, it is desirable to display them in a "stuffed" or expanded condition wherein the article displays its entire shape. This stuffing is accomplished with material such as cardboard forms or crumpled paper. Stuffing imposes a labor burden on the retailer at the point of sale. In order to avoid burdening the retailer with such stuffing chores, the manufacturer can ship the articles in a stuffed condition. However, in a stuffed condition, the articles take up more room in the shipping cartons than if shipped in collapsed condition. Expandable inserts were developed to allow shipment of these articles in a flat condition. Expandable inserts are inserted into the articles after manufacture and the articles are collapsed. When the articles are removed from their shipping cartons at the retailer, the inserts expand within the article to display it in a stuffed condition. These inserts may be complex in design such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,292 and its progeny, which include a exterior activation means such as a cord attached to the insert which must be pulled to induce the insert into its expanded form. Assembly of inserts with exterior activation means not only increases the cost of manufacture of the insert, but also requires labor to be performed by the retailer at the point of sale. Other inserts, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,846 issued Feb. 19, 1991 possess a construction in which opposing cardboard insert panels are expanded by a separately formed expander assembly wherein the expander assembly is formed separately from the insert panels. Such a construction requires that the expanded assembly be formed from an additional material in a separate step and therefore increases the cost of manufacture of the insert.
The present invention offers an improvement over the aforementioned inserts because it possesses a structure which does not rely upon an external activation means, such as a cord, and it may be formed from two sheets of an insert material to reduce the overall cost and complexity of manufacture of the insert.
In this regard, the present invention is directed to an expandable insert for an article of soft luggage which is formed from one or more sidewalls, such as a backpack, sport bag or tote bag in which the insert includes a pair of opposing insert panels which are interconnected by two bendable webs, wherein a first web is formed integrally from a central portion of a first insert panel and the second web is formed integrally from a central portion of the second insert panel. The central portions of the two insert panels may be die cut to define the webs. Each web has a base end attached to its associated insert panel and an opposite free end portion which is attached to the opposing insert panel by way of adhesive means or the like. Each web includes a generally central line of weakening, such as a crease or foldline, which permits the web to be folded upon itself when the insert is collapsed. The webs may or may not be integrally formed with their associated insert panels of origin. The webs are interconnected by an internal activation means, such as one or more elastic bands extending transversely to the webs which exert a force on the two webs and pulls them toward each other into an open, position, wherein the webs are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the insert panels to thereby provide the means necessary by which the insert panels expand against the sidewalls of the article. The webs may also include gusset portions integrally formed therewith which are attached to the insert panels to provide reinforcement to the webs in the overall assembly.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a expandable insert apparatus which is inserted into a soft luggage article and which permits the article to be retained in a collapsed, or flattened, state during packaging and shipment thereof and which insert apparatus expands outwardly against the walls of the article to expand the article when it is removed from a shipping carton or package.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an expandable insert for a backpack or similar soft luggage article which is inserted into a backpack at the point of manufacture and which expands against the walls of the backpack when the backpack is removed from a shipping carton at the point of purchase, which insert has an internal expansion activation means and which insert does not require an external restraint to maintain it in a position.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an expandable insert for a backpack which includes a pair of opposing insert panels interconnected by a pair of web panels, a first web panel being formed within a central portion within a first insert panel, the second insert panel being formed within a central portion of a second insert panel, the two webs being interconnected by elastic means which applies tension forces to the webs causing them to expand and thereby forcing the insert panels against the backpack walls.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an expandable insert having first and second opposing endwalls an expander mechanism interconnecting the two endwalls, the expander mechanism including first and second web members spaced apart from each other, the first web member being integrally connected to the first endwall and the second web member being integrally connected to the second endwall, each of the two web members being connected to an opposing endwall of the insert, the web members further including a pair of parallel fold lines upon which the web members are folded upon themselves to permit the opposing end walls to be placed in a collapsed condition, the web members further including elastic activation means which causes the web members to be attracted to each other and thereby exert an outwardly expanding force upon the insert end walls.
These and other objects, features advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.